Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #6 – Gerard Way, Jeremy Lambert, Writers; Omar Francia, Artist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: With this run of the Young Animal title, Gerard Way’s take has gone from strange and character-driven to so bizarre it feels like an art experiment. That’s borne out with the guest art of Omar Francia, who shifts styles even more dramatically than Joe Quinones does on Dial H for Hero. This issue involves two main plots, with Robotman off on his own adventure as the rest of the team tries to help a particularly bizarre client. A living digital planet needs their help to root out some viruses inside his body, and when the heroes tap into his system, they get transformed into 3D versions of themselves. It’s one of the most jarring art switches I’ve ever seen mid-issue and it works effectively, but the story surrounding it doesn’t quite match up. There’s a dramatic last-act twist that isn’t really built up, but the 3D video game inspired action is entertaining to watch in the same way as a gaming tournament.
More intriguing story-wise is Robotman’s story, as he’s been the character who got the most compelling narrative this time out. His new robot body gives him the ability to earn upgrades by helping people, becoming more powerful as he goes. That’s a potential power boost, but it’s also a psychological liability as his mind is clearly unstable. After all, this run began with him attempting suicide. This issue finds him in deep space helping liberate an alien species, as he racks up one upgrade after another. It’s pretty clear as it goes on that these upgrades don’t have a good effect on his mind. The reveal on the last page of who the Doom Patrol will be facing in the final issue is dramatic, but it drives home that there is a lot of story still to unravel with only one issue left. It feels like Way’s story may be outreaching his grasp here, even with some fascinating storytelling quirks worked in.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
